What are the construction standards in Yucatan: Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Merida, etc?
Paulina Almeida - Tao Real Estate
The construction standards here in Mexico are actually very good. The quality and materials are amazing. Before any construction can be done, you must secure certain permits that you need to have from the government.
Generally speaking, the houses are well-built in the Yucatán. In the United States, wood and plaster are used, but here in the Yucatán, they tend to use bricks and concrete. There’s also a lot of wood right now. The...
The construction standards here in Mexico are actually very good. The quality and materials are amazing. Before any construction can be done, you must secure certain permits that you need to have from the government.
Generally speaking, the houses are well-built in the Yucatán. In the United States, wood and plaster are used, but here in the Yucatán, they tend to use bricks and concrete. There’s also a lot of wood right now. The government has implemented the use of a lot of wood here in state of Quintana Roo (includes Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and here in Akumal in constructing within the jungle because they last longer than some of the materials that we use that are from outside.
These are the types of wood that are used in the marina docks, the type that really lasts long with rain and humidity, and that’s why we are starting to use these types of wood. For new projects and for the part that we are currently building, we are going to start using wood, and it will have another concept. This type of wood is more durable than blocks.
(Condo and terrace, TAO Inspired Living, Akumal, Mexico pictured.)
Do I still have to file my US income taxes if I retire, work or just live abroad?
John Ohe - Hola Expat Tax Services
All U.S. citizens and permanent residents (Green Card holders) are required to file U.S. income tax returns if they have gross income that exceeds certain minimum thresholds – see below for 2016 tax year:
Single, Under 65: $10,300
Single, 65 or older: $11,850
Married, Filing Jointly, Under 65 (both): $20,600
Married, Filing Jointly, Under 65 (one): $21,850
Married, Filing Jointly, 65 or older (both): $23,100
...
All U.S. citizens and permanent residents (Green Card holders) are required to file U.S. income tax returns if they have gross income that exceeds certain minimum thresholds – see below for 2016 tax year:
Single, Under 65: $10,300
Single, 65 or older: $11,850
Married, Filing Jointly, Under 65 (both): $20,600
Married, Filing Jointly, Under 65 (one): $21,850
Married, Filing Jointly, 65 or older (both): $23,100
Married Filing Separately, Any age: $4,000
Head of Household, Under 65: $13,250
Head of Household, 65 or older: $14,800
Qualifying Widow(er) with dependent child, Under 65: $16,600
Qualifying Widow(er) with dependent child, 65 or older: $17,850
U.S. expats are required to report worldwide income (regardless of location). Unfortunately, many are not aware of this fact, and do not file – only be audited by the IRS, at which point they are subject to penalties and interest.
How's the weather in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua? What's the average temperature in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua?
Diony Fuentes
It’s warm and breezy all year in San Juan Del Sur. It’s breezy and sunny but not dry or humid. The weather in San Juan Del Sur is a hundred times better than the weather in Managua even though these two places are relatively close to each other. Personally, I find it really hot and dry in Managua and when it rains, it’s just humid and hot at the same time.
In San Juan Del Sur, it’s breezy so it is so much cooler than in Managua. This is because...
It’s warm and breezy all year in San Juan Del Sur. It’s breezy and sunny but not dry or humid. The weather in San Juan Del Sur is a hundred times better than the weather in Managua even though these two places are relatively close to each other. Personally, I find it really hot and dry in Managua and when it rains, it’s just humid and hot at the same time.
In San Juan Del Sur, it’s breezy so it is so much cooler than in Managua. This is because of the winds coming from the Caribbean, through Lake Nicaragua, all the way to San Juan Del Sur. The weather is absolutely nice.
I have two daughters, four and eight years old, both of whom were born here in Panama. Both speak English and Spanish. Neither one of them know what its like in the US. There are some good points for that and a few bad points.
I think the good is they are not spoiled like I see most American kids, they don't get bored with simple things, they love being outdoors, and they have a chance to grow up in a country that is full of many things to learn and explore; more...
I have two daughters, four and eight years old, both of whom were born here in Panama. Both speak English and Spanish. Neither one of them know what its like in the US. There are some good points for that and a few bad points.
I think the good is they are not spoiled like I see most American kids, they don't get bored with simple things, they love being outdoors, and they have a chance to grow up in a country that is full of many things to learn and explore; more in nature than a concrete rat race I grew up in.
I find that the people here are not as violent as they are in the US. Every day growing up we had fights in school; two guys with fists only, then it turned into guns. Also drugs were huge in my high school; all types were there. Down here, in my 8 years I have yet to see a single fist fight from these kids, not even at the local park, and from what I have seen of the kids here there isn't a drug problem. If there were I would see kids doing drugs and the aftereffects of that, but here none. I'm not saying Panama is drug free, but all that coke is being shipped through here on it's way to the US. It's like smoking. Here you can't smoke indoors any place, and many places won't even allow you to smoke on their patio. They might have 4 brands of cigarrillos as they call them. I don't see the school kids smoking, either. So in these cut out a lot of things my girls would have to face in the US that they really don't have to here.
In our town, everyone knows everyone. If one of my girls are hurt or needs help or whatever, people around them will help them, while one would come to get me. It also works that way if they are doing something wrong. By the time they get home 3 people would have already told me about it. Most people here watch each other and help each other.
The school system here in Panama isn't the greatest at all. The public schools have very little as far as supplies and I do find that many of the teachers in these school are really not at a level education-wise to be teaching anything. The private school I find to be better but they are not cheap. Some in the city are very high end schools that charge you a ton of money. I feel that home schooling is the best route to take. For the price of a private school I could hire a young college person to teach my girls and they would be far ahead of everyone else when college time gets here. Now I'm talking about a college kid from the US, not here.
I have a lady that works for me who is in her third year of college who still can't do basic math. I find their college level is below our high school level.
I do feel that my girls are far better off here in Panama than in the US, and a lot healthier as well. Fresh fruits and vegetables, chicken, fish and beef, raised on farms here as opposed to growing pens and with chemicals. My girls have eaten at McDonald’s twice in their lives, whereas kids back in the US eat that junk food all the time.
We also live in a clean area. We don't have a huge town or city close by that is pouring trash into streams and ditches, and factories pumping out poison in our water and our air. That's a huge plus right there. These girls can wake up, walk outside in our yard and hand pick their breakfast, while wild parrots fly over head yelling good mourning.
There are more gang members in my hometown in the US than there are here in the whole country of Panama. The crime rate in my hometown in the US for a day is more then we see here in our town in years.
I find the people living here are all about family. They are close to everyone in their family and even though they don't have much they are always willing to share what they have.
The problems you are going to have with bringing your kids to Panama include that its world in Panama compared to what they are used to. Can they speak Spanish? That's a big step right there. How can you make friends when they can't speak the language? Also, your kids might not be used to the way of life here in that yours would have far more and better things than the kids here have. Most kids here in Panama just want a cell phone, so if your kids have a cell phone they’ll be on top. Now that phone might not have time on it to make a call but they have a cell phone. LOL. But that is the main thing with the young people here in Panama; not so much TV’s, radio and Xbox.
What is Portugal's gun ownership policy and gun laws?
Carol Bartlett Ribeiro - Carol Bartlett Ribeiro, Property Consultant
In order to have a gun in Portugal, you have to have a license. Foreigners can own guns in Portugal.
Most of the people who have guns in Portugal, and how gun ownership started is that the guns were for hunters for the hunting season, but there are very strict rules for that.
The actual details of what would be required to get a license to have a gun and what it would cost, I don’t know. The reason...
In order to have a gun in Portugal, you have to have a license. Foreigners can own guns in Portugal.
Most of the people who have guns in Portugal, and how gun ownership started is that the guns were for hunters for the hunting season, but there are very strict rules for that.
The actual details of what would be required to get a license to have a gun and what it would cost, I don’t know. The reason is we don’t really discuss guns very much apart from if you see on television that they’ve arrested people because of drugs or something similar. Apart from that, fortunately, at this point in time, I think when you see what’s going on in the world, we feel reasonably safe without guns.
(1934 photo of a hunter in Peralcovo, Portugal, pictured.)
What's the language most often spoken in Placencia, Belize? Can I get by if I just speak English?
Paul Smith - Placencia Mini Storage
The official language of Belize is English and you (and I, because I speak no other language) can get by speaking only English. However, the language of the street is Belizean Creole. It is the most popular speech in Placencia.
(Placencia Mini Storage sign written in English, the national language of Belize, pictured.)
The official language of Belize is English and you (and I, because I speak no other language) can get by speaking only English. However, the language of the street is Belizean Creole. It is the most popular speech in Placencia.
(Placencia Mini Storage sign written in English, the national language of Belize, pictured.)
An emerging personal finance trend has seen retirees and people in pre-retirement making investments in foreign real estate, especially in emerging markets. The potential benefits are very enticing; these regions are seeing growth and appreciation rates that exceed those in domestic markets, and there’s built-in potential for generating income by renting the property to vacationers. Best of all, you can live there yourself during the cold-weather months and say goodbye to winter for the...
We thank Daryl Ries for giving us the idea to have Jet Metier interview select contributors of Best Places who enliven our pages with their experiences and revelations. The conversation began with Daryl talking about a real estate expo she had attended just prior to their scheduled talk, and then continued with Daryl reviewing her life on four continents. In a chronological sleight of hand, we present the second part of the interview first, where Daryl speaks of her...
Panamá, one the smallest countries in the American continent, with just 3.5 million inhabitants nationwide, is one of the greatest countries in terms of importance, history and tradition.
The only place on earth in which you can scuba dive on both Pacific and Atlantic ocean the same day without getting on a plane. Great...ahh? The only one that joins the world through one of the Eight Wonders of the World...the Panamá...
The construction standards here in Mexico are actually very good. The quality and materials are amazing. Before any construction can be done, you must secure certain permits that you need to have from the government. 
In order to have a gun in Portugal, you have to have a license. Foreigners can own guns in Portugal. 
The official language of Belize is English and you (and I, because I speak no other language) can get by speaking only English. However, the language of the street is Belizean Creole. It is the most popular speech in Placencia. 
An emerging personal finance trend has seen retirees and people in pre-retirement making investments in foreign real estate, especially in emerging markets. The potential benefits are very enticing; these regions are seeing growth and appreciation rates that exceed those in domestic markets, and there’s built-in potential for generating income by renting the property to vacationers. Best of all, you can live there yourself during the cold-weather months and say goodbye to winter for the...
We thank Daryl Ries for giving us the idea to have Jet Metier interview select contributors of Best Places who enliven our pages with their experiences and revelations. The conversation began with Daryl talking about a real estate expo she had attended just prior to their scheduled talk, and then continued with Daryl reviewing her life on four continents. In a chronological sleight of hand, we present the second part of the interview first, where Daryl speaks of her...